Method of cleaning bottles



Aug 11, 1936. STEGEMANN 2,050,634

METHOD OF CLEANING BOTTLES 8 Filed Oct. 9, 1933 Patented Aug. 11, 1936 METHOD or CLEANING BOTTLES Friedrich Stegemann', Bad Kreuznach, Germany, assignor to Corporation of Seitl-Werke G. m. b. H., Bad Kreuznach, Germany Application October 9,

1933, Serial No. 692,898

In Germany October 13, 1932 2 Claims.

An important consideration in bottle washing machines is the removal of large sunken objects, more articularly labels, from softening or soaking containers. Hitherto all that has been done is to recover the labels from the water again flowing to the container. The labels, however,

.which are released during the softening or soaking operation and become freed upon lifting of the vessels from the container basin, remain in the container, and dirty the same. The labels become saturated during the softening or soaking operation and are heavier than the liquid used for that operation so that they sink slowly to the bottom.

According to the present process the sprinkler water flowing to the circulating pump flows from the bottom of the container out through a conduit towards the top thereof. The sinking labels, when or before they reach the bottom of the container, are seized by the stream of overflow water rising through the tube and upon the subsequent falling of the overflow water, are retained by a filter compartment. By means of this process a complete removal of the labels which become free on removal of the bottles from the container is obtained, and a long and serviceable life of the soaking bath is achieved.

Figure 1 of the annexed drawing shows the outlet end of a washing machine diagrammatically in side elevation.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the outlet end of the washing machine.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of one of the baskets on the line III-III of Fig. l.

The carriers or baskets I containing the vessels, for example, bottles, are passed in known manner through the softening or soaking container 2, and the last basket la is raised from the container by any known raising mechanism, not shown. The basket I or la are of such size as to hold the bottles loosely leaving space around the bottles for the liquid to pass and carry away the labels. During the softening or soaking the labels on the bottles become loose, but remain for the most part, still in the basket. These leave at the bottom of the basket only upon the occurrence of the liquid flow arising in the basket during removal of the same from the bath, whereupon they sink to the bottom. They would collect there, if the following improvement were not provided.

The water or lye flowing from the bottle sprayer 3 falls into a receptacle 8 having at one end a discharge spout located above the position at which the bottle baskets are removed from the bath, whereby the flow of water is concentrated upon the bottles as they are removed from the bath. The water then falls into the container 2 and overflows into the filter container 4 through an overflow channel 5. The overflow channel com- 5 mences at or near the bottom of the container 2. The flow thereby arising at the bottom of the container carries along the sinking labels through the overflow channel. The overflow water flows througfh the label catcher 6 into the container 4. 10 The pump 1 then leadsthis water again to the spraying system 3. A constant circulation of the water through the overflow channel 5 thus takes place, and accordingly also a constant carrying along of labels. It is, however, not necessary that 15 the water should overflow exclusively through the channel 5. A portion of the water could also overflow, in lmown manner, at the surface of the container, without detriment to the removal of the labels from below from the softening con- 29.

tainer.

The overflow channel is suitably, but certainly not necessarily, built into the container itself, or forms a division wall between the container and the filter container. By this means an additional 25 external surface, and, therefore, larger cooling surface for the hot softening bath, is avoided. By this means also the entire filter compartment is accessible for cleaning, and the constructional length of the entire container is shortened.

The overflow channel 5 is suitably at least as wide as the length of the baskets or carriers I in order to receive all of the labels falling from the basket. The channel may, however, be also longer or shorter, in order to achieve its purpose. 35

What I claim is:

1. The method of cleansing bottles with liquid and purifying the liquid, comprising submerging a plurality of sets of bottles loosely held in position adjacent each other in a body of soaking 40 liquid, raising a set of said bottles above said liquid, withdrawing liquid and foreign matter removed from the bottles, directly from the bottom portion of said body substantially beneath and across substantially the entire width of said raised set of bottles, straining the withdrawn liquid to remove the foreign matter, conducting said liquid to a position above the raised set of bottles and flowing said liquid over said set of bottles to remove the labels and returning said 50 liquid and labels to the body of liquid above the point of withdrawal.

2. The method of cleaning bottles with liquid and purifying the liquid comprising moving the bottles through a body of liquid to soak and 55 ducting said withdrawn liquid to a position above the raised bottles, and flowing a. stream of said liquid over the raised bottles to remove the foreign matter therefrom, said streiim of liquid and foreign matter passing into said body of liquid.

FRIEDRICH BTEGEMAINN. 

